Posted by Sadie from ? (160.129.109.128) on Sunday, April 20, 2003 at 11:01PM :
Tired of that old corporate rule?
Have the World Bank and International Monetary Fund got you spiraling to hell in a hand basket? Well here are a couple of links to stories of corporate war profiteering to help incite the activist in you!
Carlyle Group: http://www.hereinreality.com/carlyle.html "...as the Carlyle investors watched the World Trade towers go down, the group's prospects went up."
Halliburton: http://southafrica.indymedia.org/news/2003/04/3657.php "Halliburton has subcontracted the specialty work of putting out the oil well fires in Iraq to a good old Texas company called Boots and Coots. Vice-president Dick Cheney was the CEO of Halliburton for five years and still receives a million dollars a year in compensation from the company."
But wait there is more!
War is Golden for the Bush Administration by Chris Floyd: http://www.counterpunch.org/floyd02152003.html "The Italian bank BNL was one of BCCI's main tentacles. BNL's Atlanta branch was the primary funnel used by the first Bush Administration to send millions of secret dollars to Saddam for arms purchases, including deadly chemicals and other WMD [weapon of mass destruction] materials..."
Meet the new Iraqi police, DynCorp: http://www.observer.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,935689,00.html “A US military contractor accused of human rights violations has won a multi-million-dollar contract to police post-Saddam Iraq…”
And I'm sure you've all heard of the sweet Bechtel contract. http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,939303,00.html "An engineering firm with close links to the Bush administration won the main contract for the reconstruction of Iraq's infrastructure last night, sealing a deal worth up to $680m (£432m) to rebuild the country's electrical, water and sewage systems."
Gotta love it! More Bechtel. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/18/international/worldspecial/18REBU.html "An American team led by retired Lt. Gen. Jay Garner will take over the civilian administration of Iraq until an interim Iraqi authority is in place. The Iraqis will then work with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, institutions in which the United States enjoys wide influence, to reshape the country."
So what are you going to do about it?
Speak, listen, get irate, hold a sign in front of your favorite corporate mega office and maintain a presence. Leaflet, ride your bike with a message to anyone and everyone. Drive the activist out of the armchair and do something.
Here in Chicago a few have maintained a presence at Boeing World Headquarters. It started this year with an Ash Wednesday action when a group of scattered ashes in protest to Boeing's blatant profit from war. Each week thereafter there have been vigils, lock downs, blood spilled, die-ins, and enough leafleting to educate thousands of passer-bys.
Recently, Danny Muller and Ceylon Mooney of Voices in the Wilderness sanctified Boeing World Headquarters on Holy Thursday by pasting pictures of civilian victims of Boeing war. Anthony Nicotera and Dave Martin were also arrested while inviting Boeing to witness first-hand the effects of their weapons on ordinary Iraqis in a die in staged at the location of their retail store.
Ceylon Mooney of Voices in the Wilderness states, "the business of Boeing ends with the shedding of blood, human sacrifice, and crucifixion. All people are created in the image and likeness of God. Christ calls us to find Him with the “least among us”--those who suffer this war from their homes and neighborhoods in Iraq."
Boeing moved its world headquarters to Chicago, IL, with up to $63 million in state and city subsidies. Chicago’s financial support of the Boeing is inconsistent with the resolution the Chicago City Council passed in opposition to war against Iraq.
Since September 11, 2001, the Boeing has laid off more than 30,000 employees while weapons contract awards increased $3.3 billion from 2001-2002.
"Boeing represents another link in the chain of profits over people-both the Iraqis and Americans who have lost their lives as a consequence of Boeing's bombs, and the Boeing employees who lost their jobs," adds Muller.
So don’t just archive this message and do not delete it. Forward it to all your contacts and ask them to join you in demonstrating your impatience with the so called democratization of the world by these mega buck bidding corporate ruling money and war mongers! Visit activist websites to download posters, signs, petitions or whatever you can use to your advantage in squashing these monsters. Write a letter to the editor or to your congressperson or senator. Call your city council representative and tell them how outraged you are that these national chain (gangs!) businesses are dominating the economy and not giving back to the community.
Get involved with local actions. Start local actions. If you are already acting, FANTASTIC! Please email us when you do. Keep us posted. WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU: info@vitw.org
Respectfully,
Angela Garcia for Voices in the Wilderness
www.vitw.org
www.iraqpeaceteam.org
www.electroniciraq.net
-- Sadie
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